Welcome to the future. Inside and out, this unique hotel looks like a spaceship that landed in the middle of the desert. It’s half on water, half on land, and 100% futuristic in design. There’s a breathtaking glass structure that blankets the two main buildings of the hotel, overlooking the Formula 1 circuit where cars zoom by during the season. With the lighting, it looks magical.

I visited over New Year’s Eve to take advantage of the proximity to the Yas Arena where Coldplay performed one of the best concerts I’d ever been to. The hotel provided a 5 minute shuttle service to and from the arena, which made my sore feet happy after hours of dancing. And every time we came up the ramp towards the entrance of the hotel, we were in awe all over again.

The Welcome

The lobby was festive, with a massive gingerbread house-cum-bar, a sleigh, a decorated tree, and a fake fireplace.

That’s literally how serene check in was for me – well, the hubby was checking in while I was reading by the fire, as you do in the desert 😀 How beautiful is my Ted Baker luggage? That was my Christmas present!

Check in was very busy because it was New Year’s Eve, but surprisingly swift as most of it is done digitally on an iPad.

Sweet Suite

The interior of the hotel is sleek and looks like what I would imagine a UFO to look like inside. Room doors are opened by touching your room key to the lit numbers in front of your door. Welcome to the Twilight Zone.

The rooms are modern and cool. The tables all have marble finishing and the king size beds could fit four people. The pillows were just the right amount of fluffy. Initially we got a room with twin beds by mistake and were swiftly taken to another room with a king bed despite the NYE madness.

Some rooms face the marina and others, like ours, had a view of the Formula 1 circuit. It’s a really unique experience.

Food-tastic

There are 11 dining options in the hotel that range from rustic Italian to a full-on international buffet – that night, they were featuring Hawaiian fish of all things – but we decided to grab a quick bite at the rooftop pool and bar before heading out to the concert. We shared a delicious chicken shawarma wrap with french fries. It was pricey – Dhs85 – and not much chicken in it, but we were starving. And the view made up for the meal.

Breakfast in the morning was like a royal feast. There was a made-to-order omelette section, a pastry section with every type of croissant imaginable, a fruit and cereal area, and even an Indian section with paratha and yummy rice. A lovely way to start the new year!

All in all, the Yas Viceroy is a true 5 star experience and I look forward to coming back sometime to try the restaurants and the spa!

#WhatToPack

Glitter and sparkle is the name of the game for New Year’s Eve, so here is some festive elegance to get you in a party mood!

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About Us

Hi, we're the Hamdan sisters! Sara is a professional travel writer whose work has appeared in the NY Times, CNN Travel, Stylist and Harper's Bazaar. Lulu works in healthcare marketing and loves all things nutrition and fitness. The sisters run this blog to share a love of beautiful hotels that make life a little extraordinary for a day or two. Who doesn't love chocolates on their pillows?